Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles says he needs four to five years to turn the district around
Miles said he should be held accountable and be fired if the district doesn’t improve academically in the next two years. Full Story
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Brian Lopez is a public education reporter, covering how policy and politics affect Texas’ K-12 public education system and the nearly 5.5 million kids enrolled in public schools. Before landing at the Tribune in 2021, he was the Tarrant County reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Brian is a New York native but moved to Texas after high school. He graduated from The University of Texas at Arlington, is based in San Antonio and reports in both English and Spanish.
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![Mike Miles, the state-appointed superintendent of Houston ISD, discusses public education in Texas' largest city with Jacob Carpenter, team leader of the Houston Landing, at The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Sept. 23, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson switches to Republican Party
Though the mayor’s position in Dallas is technically nonpartisan, Johnson joins Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker as one of two Republican mayors to lead a major Texas city. Full Story
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![Moderator Chad Hasty speaks with Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson about his second-term agenda and partisanship at The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Sept. 22, 2023.]()
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Facing declining enrollment and charter school competition, San Antonio and Plano consider closing campuses
School officials in San Antonio announced earlier this week that they are looking at closing about 20% of their campuses while Plano school officials are starting those discussions. Full Story
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![School supplies are individually bagged in each cubbie in a classroom at Ott Elementary School on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 in San Antonio.]()
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Texas Education Agency delays release of annual school ratings
TEA said it needs to make adjustments to account for changes in students’ academic performance after the pandemic. The delay comes after several school districts sued to stop the agency from releasing school rankings produced under a new rating system. Full Story
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![Texas Education Agency commissioner Mike Morath reports on statewide student performance at the House Public Education Committee hearing at the Capitol on Feb. 28, 2022. The committee convened for its first meeting of the year and invited testimony from the Texas Education Agency and Texas School Safety Center.]()
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School safety, tutoring and hair: These are some of the new education laws that go into effect this year
Lawmakers failed to pass legislation on school vouchers or teacher raises this year, but they approved other education-related laws like an $800 million investment in high-quality instructional materials and new rules for students found vaping or using marijuana. Full Story
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![Hank Warner teaches a pre-advanced placement algebra course for ninth graders at Bowie High School Wednesday, April 10, 2013 in Austin.]()
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How a state effort to fund Texas schools equitably is shortchanging dozens of rural districts
For decades, the Texas comptroller’s office has double-checked property valuations across the state, which help determine how much school districts can levy in property taxes. But when state and county appraisers disagree, districts can end up with big holes in their budgets. Full Story
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![Alpine ISD Superintendent Michelle Rinehart points to heaters that need to be upgraded inside a classroom at Alpine Elementary School.]()
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Despite post-pandemic improvements, STAAR scores show Texas students are still struggling with math and reading
Test results have gone up since the pandemic in both subjects, but math scores are still below 2019 levels and about half of Texas students read below the level appropriate for most children in their grade. Full Story
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![A calculator and a test sheet on a desk at Elsik High School in 2018.]()
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Texas House committee report outlines possible path forward for school vouchers
The House blocked school vouchers during this year’s regular lawmaking session, but a report released Friday shows some members might be willing to approve a scaled-back version of the program that doesn’t compete with public schools for funds. Full Story
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![Cactus Elementary School in Cactus on Jan. 28, 2020.]()
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Brazosport ISD is training its own teachers. The program might become a model for other Texas schools.
The small district’s apprenticeship program lets aspiring teachers earn a bachelor’s degree and teacher certification at no cost. In return, participants must work at the district for at least three years. Observers hope state lawmakers will use the program as a model for legislation. Full Story
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![Cody Scarborough, teacher apprentice, leads his AP Chemistry class through a lab activity at Brazosport High School in Freeport, Texas, on Thursday, May 4, 2023. The end of the school year will mark the completion of his year-long residency.]()
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With no new funding from the state, Texas schools are breaking the bank to pay for teacher raises
Lawmakers this year didn’t approve extra money to help schools pay for raises despite having an unprecedented $32 billion surplus — even after Gov. Greg Abbott commissioned a task force last year to improve teacher pay and retention. Full Story
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![Fifth graders at Jacob’s Well Elementary School in Wimberley lineup at the door as they prepare to walk back to their classroom from the science lab on Sept. 4, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune